Ashburn Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography

According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, between February and March 2015, the FBI identified an Internet Protocol (IP) address in Fairfax accessing child pornography. Based on that investigation, law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant on a business in Fairfax where Webb worked. During the search, several electronic devices were located and reviewed, including a Dell computer and a flash drive that contained over 5,000 image files and 300 video files of child pornography. The analysis of the computer confirmed that it had been used to download child pornography from the Internet using peer-to-peer software. When interviewed, Webb admitted that he had used the business’s computer to access, receive, and download child pornography and that he had transferred and stored child pornography to an external drive or flash drive he possessed.

Webb faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on April 21. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Russell of the Eastern District of Virginia, and Trial Attorney Leslie Williams Fisher of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-298.